Tuesday, December 22, 2020 Jake Halperin

There's Nothing to See Here!  The first word of each theme answer is another word for Nothing.

17-Across. "Quiet!": ZIP YOUR LIP.

27-Across. Sinful financial craving: LOVE OF MONEY.  Why Love means nothing in tennis.  Tennis is also a game that has been lethal to royalty.

36-Across. English national anthem originally in French: O CANADA.  Hi, CanadianEh!

46-Across. Exercise involving a push-up position: SQUAT THRUST.

And the unifier:

60-Across. "Just a scratch, really" ... and a hint to the starts of 17-, 27-, 36- and 46-Across: IT'S NOTHING.

Across:

1. Jobs for plumbers: LEAKS.

6. Protein-rich vegan fare: TOFU.

10. "Warts and all" wart: FLAW.

14. Written so as to discourage erasure: IN PEN.  Hand up if your first thought was In Ink.

15. Library ID: ISBN.  This stands for International Standard Book Number.  The ISBN deciphered.

16. Witness' promise: OATH.

19. Pre-performance pitch-setting wind: OBOE.  Did you ever wonder why the Oboe is used to tune the Orchestra?

20. Bible man made from earth: ADAM.  From dust to dust ...

21. "The Matrix" hero: NEO.  The Matrix was a 1999 movie that starred Keanu Reeves (né Keanu Charles Reeves; b. Sept. 2, 1964) as Neo.

22. Chipmunk, e.g.: RODENT.  They are cute little critters.  Everything you wanted to know about Chipmunks, but didn't know to ask.

24. State-sponsored gambling game: LOTTO.

26. Play-calling gatherings: HUDDLES.  Think fútbol, American style.

Geaux Tigers!

29. Ballpark hooter: BOOER.  Meh!

30. Iron mine output: ORE.  A crossword staple.

31. Bacon go-with: EGGS.

35. Form W-2 org.: IRS.  The infamous Internal Revenue Service.

40. Half of dos: UNO.  Today's Italian lesson.

41. Belle's counterpart: BEAU.

43. Fútbol cheer: OLÉ.  The game Americans call Soccer.

44. Clarifying words: I, MEAN.

50. Bigwigs: TOP GUNS.  Top Gun was a 1986 movie about students at the United States Navy elite fighter weapons school competing to be the best in their class.

53. "It __ stopped me yet!": HASN'T.

54. Past the pain of a breakup, say: OVER IT.

55. Have something: AIL.

56. Stop-motion medium: CLAY.  Stop-motion is also known as Claymation.

59. Humans-on-the-moon org.: NASA.  As in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.  Hi, Gary!

63. Wrinkle remover: IRON.  Ironing in the age of Zoom.

64. Hammer target: NAIL.

65. Simple question type: YES / NO.

66. Skin concern: CYST.

67. Like a cloudy day: GRAY.  We have been having a lot of gloomy and gray days recently.

68. Pencil maze word: ENTER.  Sometimes the word Enter is just implied.

Down:
1. Minnelli of "Cabaret": LIZA.  Liza Minnelli (née Liza May Minnelli; b. Mar. 12, 1946) is the daughter of Judy Garland.

2. Katelyn Nacon's role on "The Walking Dead": ENID.  I have never seen The Walking Dead, and am not familiar with Katelyn Nacon (Katelyn May Nacon; b. June 11, 1999).

3. Horse with a spotted coat: APPALOOSA.  Apparently they come in all sorts of spotted patterns.

4. Decision that clinches the victory: KEY MOVE.

5. __-Caps: candy: SNO.  Yummers!

6. Lose interest in: TIRE OF.

7. Scandinavian capital: OSLO.  Alfred Nobel (Oct. 21, 1833 ~ Dec. 10, 1896) was Swedish, so why is the Nobel Peace Prize awarded in Oslo, Norway and not Stockholm, Sweden where all the other Nobel Prizes are given out?

8. "The Blacklist" agcy.: FBI.  As in the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The Blacklist is a television series starring James Spader (b. Feb. 7, 1960) and Megan Boone (b. Apr. 29, 1983).  The show has been running since 2013.

9. Not cut back, as branches: UNPRUNED.

10. Edible coloring: FOOD DYE.

11. Nutrition info spot: LABEL.  How to decipher the Nutrition label.

12. Make restitution: ATONE.  This is becoming a crossword staple.

13. Arouses: WHETS.

18. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO.  Words in the Golden Rule.  The major religions of the world have a version of the Golden Rule.

23. Emotional poem: ODE.

25. Choreographer Saarinen: TERO.  The only Saarinens I am familiar with are the father (Elie) and son  (Eero) architects, who often make guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  I don't believe that Tero Saarinen (b. Sept. 7, 1964) is related to the architects.

26. "Hava Nagila" dance: HORA.  Let us rejoice!

27. Passed-on stories: LORE.

28. Painter Claude: MONET.  Claude Monet (né Oscar-Claude Monet; Nov. 14, 1840 ~ Dec. 5, 1926) is sometimes referred to as the Father of Impressionist Painting.  He is probably best known for his series of Water Lilies from his home in Giverny, France.

29. Highchair wear: BIB.

32. Party attendees lineup: GUEST LIST.

33. Irksome insect: GNAT.  Here are a few different types of Gnats.

34. Luke, to Anakin: SON.  A reference to the Star Wars movies.

37. Relying (on): COUNTING.

38. Hooray antonym: ALAS.

39. Goes public with: AIRS.

42. R.E. Lee foe: U.S. GRANT.  As we have previously noted, Ulysses S Grant's given name was Hiram Ulysses Grant (Apr. 27, 1822 ~ July 23, 1885).

45. Third-largest German city, to Germans: MÜNCHEN.  Today's German lesson.  The city was founded by Benedictine monks, hence, the name is derived from Old High German meaning "by the monks' place."

47. Who, in Quebec: QUI.  Today's French lesson.c

48. How carpaccio is sliced: THINLY.  Carpaccio is thinly sliced meat or fish that is generally served raw.  You, too, can make carpaccio.

49. Angelic aura: HALO.

50. Vodka mixer: TONIC.

51. Seed-bearing organ: OVARY.

52. Cuban coins: PESOS.

55. Where Israel is: ASIA.  Sometimes when you go to a restaraunt in Israel, they will tell you they serve Asian food.  What you will get is what we consider middle-eastern food.

57. Diarist Frank: ANNE.  Annelies Marie Frank (June 12, 1929 ~ Feb. 1945) was a Holocaust victim.

58. "Son of Frankenstein" role: YGOR.  Ygor was played by Boris Lugosi in the 1939 movie.

61. Sailor: TAR.  Sailors have been referred to as Tars since at least the 1660s.  It may derive from the word Tarpaulin, which was a cloth covered in tar to make it waterproof.

62. Nautical rope: TYE.  Hi, Spitzboov.  I'll let you explain this word.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Monday December 21, 2020 Fred Piscop

Theme: Say It Again - The first parts of the theme entries are homophones.

6A. In general: BY AND LARGE.

61A. Bring on difficulty: BUY TROUBLE.

15D. Fluent in two tongues: BILINGUAL.

28D. "See you later": BYE FOR NOW.

Boomer here.  

Hello Fred!  Great to see a puzzle BY you again.  Naturally we all miss working on your puzzles for the USA Today.  

The great Paul Bunyan is residing in Brainerd, Minnesota wondering where his Axe is.  Well the Big Ten worried about it and decided to reinstate the Gopher/Badger game last Saturday,  It had been cancelled earlier due to COVID-19.  What can I say?  The Badgers won in overtime 20-17 so the trophy AXE will remain in Madison.  

Across:

1. Leave unmentioned: OMIT.  I hope Pfizer did not OMIT any state in the distribution of vaccine. 

5. Source of French fries, informally: TATER.  I'm a baseball nut, and sometimes a home run is called a TATER, but I don't know why.  It sounds like something Yogi might have started.

10. In good physical shape: FIT.  I've dropped a few pounds, but my clothes still FIT.  I've maintained my bowling and golf muscles but I still go between XL and XXL

13. Glowing review: RAVE.

14. Mirror reflection: IMAGE.  Really??  I thought it was I.

15. Army installation: BASE.  There are three on a baseball diamond.

18. Aches and pains: ILLS.  Not enough room to share my personal items on this blog.

19. Beachgoer's footwear: SANDALS.  You may need these if you book a day or two at the Island Resorts of the Florida coast.  You may need a high limit on your credit card also.

20. Cast-iron pan, often: SKILLET.  My Mom had one of these.  Weighed about 20 pounds.

22. Hardy's Miss Durbeyfield: TESS.

24. A bit teary-eyed: MISTY. The Crossword Corner Misty.

May 7, 2010

25. Air Force B-52, e.g.: BOMBER.  I've been called this, but I prefer Boomer.

29. Worker with bricks: MASON.  Lawyer named Perry.  I guess I am old.

32. Does as told: OBEYS.  Yes Sir! 

33. Pre-Easter period: LENT.  The church has relaxed the rules a bit on those forty days.  Catholics were losing too much weight.

34. What you wear: GARB.

38. Post-it jotting: NOTE.

39. Loaded with beef, say: MEATY.  We have received three boxes of four from Omaha Steaks. Thank you, Irish Miss.

40. App-based car service: UBER.  Credit card only.  You need to be at least 18 years of age to ride.

41. Unable to hear: DEAF.

42. Cruel creature of fable: OGRE.

43. Michael of "Alfie" (1966): CAINE.  Drop the E and you have Abel's bro.

44. Beyond heavy: OBESE.

46. Like many margarita glasses: SALTED.  I never drank a margarita, but I like peanuts and cashews.

47. Keystroke-saving shortcut: MACRO.

50. The "first" in "first and ten": DOWN.  My oncologist's name is Dr. DOWNS.  Not sure if he's a football fan.  He's waiting for a vaccine at the VA, just like me. I guess the front line health care workers in the COVID-19 section of the hospital receive it first.  I and Dr. DOWNS are a bit further DOWN the list. 

52. Like the taste of much breakfast juice: ORANGEY.  ORANGE juice is a little tart.  C.C. buys these small Mandarin oranges that are a bit sweeter.  That's the ORANGES!  No one is sweeter than C.C.

55. Downloadable talk show: PODCAST.

60. Nevada casino city: RENO.  Great City!  They built a huge bowling center there in the mid nineties so, of course, I visited there for a couple of ABC/USBC tournaments.  Bowling shot was a bit difficult but the souvenirs were great. 

Boomer is second from left.

Boomer's Souvenir Coins

63. From the beginning: ANEW.  Not now, we are almost halfway there.

64. Need a Band-Aid, say: BLEED.  I have not worn a golf glove on my left hand since October.  Sometimes the hand would BLEED when I took it off.  The glove, not my hand.

65. Dog-biting pest: FLEA.  C.C. and I spent many weekend mornings at FLEA markets in the past.  I mostly sold baseball cards and hand-crafted zipper pulls.

66. Young fellow: LAD.  "When I was but a LAD of ten, my father said to me.  Come here and take a lesson from the lovely lemon tree.  Late 50s song.  NOT performed by the Beatles.

67. Mails: SENDS.  Post office says they are getting overwhelmed with Christmas cards and packages.

68. Govt. agents: FEDS.

Down:

1. Spheres, to poets: ORBS.

2. Yucatán native: MAYA.

3. "Terrible" czar: IVAN.  This is why no one names their kids IVAN any more.

4. Work behind, as the bar: TEND.  Difficult job that I never had.  Our governor closed the bars for a month again around Thanksgiving but he is contemplating an extension since our COVID cases are still bouncing off the ceiling.

5. Boat's steering device: TILLER.  Hmmmm.  Years ago, my boat had a steering wheel.

6. Store up: AMASS.  I have not been since the archbishop told me not to go last March.  Sometimes they email me a video, but now the associate pastor has COVID.  He is quarantined but doing okay.

7. Waterproofing gunk: TAR.  Our driveway could use a replacement.

8. Omelet staples: EGGS.  I can make the BEST - but it's too much trouble so I just have a bowl of cereal.

9. Stink to high heaven: REEK.

10. Niagara __: FALLS.  Minneapolis has Minnehaha Falls.  It's a bit of a trickle in the winter however.

11. Speck in the ocean: ISLET.

12. In a crabby mood: TESTY.

17. Goes out with: DATES.  A great fruit to put on top of a cookie.  Careful of the seed.

21. Texter's "I think": IMO.  "IN MY OPINION" I am not sure.

23. Applied sloppily, as lipstick: SMEARED.

25. "__, James __": BOND.  I saw all of the Sean Connery movies but then I couldn't keep up.

26. Double-reed woodwind: OBOE.

27. Self-referential, in modern lingo: META.

30. Start the poker pot: ANTE.  Great memories of nickel ANTE poker, when waiting in the caddy shack for a job.

31. Pig's home: STY.

33. Some chicken servings: LEGS.  I'm pretty sure they are called drumsticks.

35. Slightly: A BIT.  Some times we would win A BIT or lose A BIT.  But some guys would come off the course with their daily earnings and blow it all in the poker game.

36. Russo of "Thor" movies: RENE.

37. Raised, as cattle: BRED.  My great uncle Bill had no cattle.  I guess you could say he BRED hens.

39. The bossy Stooge: MOE.

43. Like a positive attitude: CAN DO.

45. Where cranberries grow: BOG. Oh I thought they grew in cans.

46. Dueling weapons: SWORDS.  I really liked the dueling banjos in "Deliverance"

47. Lesson from Aesop: MORAL.

48. Place for a concert: ARENA.  The Twins have Target Field and the Timberwolves have Target ARENA downtown right next store.

49. Repaired with wicker: CANED.

51. __ out: declined: OPTED.  I OPTED out of my bowling leagues so far this year.  Our governor has closed the bowling centers about a month ago, so four weeks have been delayed or cancelled. 

53. Flows back: EBBS.

54. Christmas season: YULE.  "Deck the Halls" -- 'Tis the season. 

56. Shirt sleeve's end: CUFF.  The most difficult button to fasten on a shirt.

57. Having the skill: ABLE.

58. Vehicle pulled by huskies: SLED.  In some places, but in Minnesota we kids ride them down hill with no help from doggies.

59. They accompany crumpets: TEAS.  C.C. is the expert.  I usually pour mine over ice.

62. Japanese coins: YEN.

Boomer

Sunday December 20, 2020 Ross Trudeau

 

Theme: "Pop Quiz" - Pop songs start with the Five W's and How.

23. Question 1 (Baha Men, 2000): WHO LET THE DOGS OUT. "Who, who, who, who, who?
Who let the dogs out...". We see BAHA at grid from time to time.

38. Question 2 (Third Eye Blind, 1997): HOW'S IT GONNA BE. Not familiar with the song or the band. Wiki gives the title "How's It Going to Be".

48. With 79-Across, Question 3 (War, 1975): WHY CAN'T WE. And 79. See 48-Across: BEFRIENDS.

61. Question 4 (Jagged Edge featuring Nelly, 2001): WHERE THE PARTY AT.

85. Question 5 (Justin Bieber, 2015): WHAT DO YOU MEAN. Ah, we all know this song. 

102. Question 6 (Linda Ronstadt, 1975): WHEN WILL I BE LOVED. Argyle liked Linda Ronstadt.

What a great title! So apt. Ross always finds ways to tighten up a theme. This is a perfect example.

This puzzle only has 138 words. Our standard is 144. Ross is a real pro in grid-designing and filling.

Ross Trudeau

Across:

1. Broody genre: EMO.

4. Bothersome sort: PEST.

8. Writ word: HABEAS. Habeas corpus.

14. "Yeah, right!": I BET.

18. Traveler's app that can use crowdsourced data: WAZE. GPS navigation app. Found in Israel. Owned by Google now.

20. Creep (along): INCH.

21. "Little Miss Dynamite" Lee: BRENDA.

22. Gold rush animal: MULE.

26. Gainsborough's "The Blue Boy" et al.: OILS.

27. Flustered: IN A STEW.

28. Book of Mormon prophet: ENOS. And 11. Musician Brian: ENO.

29. iPod and iPad: APPLES. My iPod (Classic) finally died. The battery quit.

31. Ability of Marvel's Professor X: ESP.

32. Use sparingly: RATION. I used my iPod every day for over 12 years. It did not have WiFi.  So outdated, but it fit my needs perfectly. 

34. Did an aria, say: SOLOED.

36. Like some river bottoms: SILTY.

42. Smoothie berry: ACAI. Vowel-rich, hence its frequent appearance.

43. Like Cheerios: OATEN.

46. Shouldered: BORNE.

47. Crafty sort: FOX.

50. Hall of Famer Reese: PEEWEE. And another Hall of Famer 57. Bobby on ice: ORR.

52. Get behind something, maybe: HIDE.

53. Golf club part: TOE.

54. Goldberg who drew complex "machines": RUBE.

55. Petrol measures: LITRES.

56. Buenos __: AIRES. This sounds very pretty in Chinese. Minneapolis and Annapolis also sound pretty. I think I mentioned before, in Chinese, America is "beautiful country".

58. Romanov title: TSAR.

59. End of a ball game?: ALAI. Jai alai.

60. "Despicable Me" orphan: AGNES. New to me. Shout out to the Notorious Agnes on our blog.

65. Thunders: ROARS.

67. Assistant: AIDE.

68. Electrical units: OHMS.

69. __ es Salaam: DAR.

72. Housing choice: CONDO.

73. Sign of spring: TAURUS.

75. Pod contents: PEAS. My iPod is full of great podcasts. Many classic Maron episodes.

76. Legal org.: ABA.

77. Activity centers: HUBS.

78. Temptation for a gambler: HOT TIP.

81. In the past: AGO.

82. "Pearly Shells" singer: DON HO.

83. Ish: SORTA.

84. Victoria's Secret spec: C CUP.

89. Contests that take seconds?: DUELS. Great clue.

90. Lassos: RIATAS.

91. "The Communist Manifesto" co-author: ENGELS. This poster of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin & Mao was in our classrooms for many years.

94. "O, __ fortune's fool!": Romeo: I AM.

95. Beatnik address: DADDY-O.

97. Little bit: IOTA.

98. Noble realm: EARLDOM.

101. Et __: ALII.

107. Philosopher Descartes: RENE. "Cogito ergo sum" guy.

108. Chief: LEADER.

109. Zipped through: ACED.

110. "Biggest Little City in the World": RENO. Boomer loves the food at Peppermill Reno & Vegas.

111. Brewery units: KEGS.

112. Walked proudly: STRODE.

113. What many players shoot for: PARS. On a golf course.

114. Common doo-wop solo instrument: SAX.

Down:

1. "Ick": EWW.

2. Half a menu fish: MAHI.

3. Stratospheric shield: OZONE LAYER.

4. Brad of "12 Monkeys": PITT.

5. Formal "Door's open": ENTER.

6. Unstressed vowel sound: SCHWA.

7. Not just any: THE.

8. Netflix competitor: HBO NOW.

9. Gases in some bulbs: ARGONS. Plurable?

10. Porgy's beloved: BESS.

12. Ghanian-born soccer great: ADU. Freddy. So highly touted.

13. Got stood up at the café, say: SAT ALONE.

14. Words while checking one's calendar: I'M OPEN.

15. Jack London classic, with "To": BUILD A FIRE.

16. Fashion monthly: ELLE.

17. Hardy heroine: TESS.

19. Springy: ELASTIC.

24. Spot: ESPY.

25. Two-sport Sanders: DEION. NFL/MLB.

30. Bread in a skillet: PONE.

33. You, biblically: THEE.

34. Vermont ski resort: STOWE.

35. Scary beasts: OGRES.

36. Handled: SAW TO.

37. Blood of the Greek gods: ICHOR.What color is it?

39. Madrid's peninsula: IBERIA.

40. Portends: BODES.

41. Subjects of split decisions?: EXES. Another great clue.

43. Disagreeable necessities: ONUSES.

44. Being litigated: AT BAR.

45. Poetic contraction: 'TWERE.

49. Prefix with pod or scope: ARTHRO. "Joint".

50. Accumulated: PILED UP.

51. Military camps: ETAPES.

52. Crossword title, often: HINT.

55. "Interpreter of Maladies" Pulitzer author Jhumpa __: LAHIRI. Indian-American.

56. Tennis legend Andre: AGASSI.

60. Language or people of the central Andes: AYMARA. Learning moment for me.

61. Rolls of money: WADS.

62. "Amélie" star Audrey: TAUTOU.  Such a whimsical film.

63. Rodeo competitor: ROPER.

64. Lifting, maybe: THEFT.

65. Golfer's "tall stuff": ROUGH.

66. Orientation procedure: ON BOARDING.

69. Steps on the floor?: DANCE MOVES. Lovely fill and clue.

70. Singer Paula: ABDUL.

71. Talks hoarsely: RASPS.

72. Wad of tobacco: CHAW.

73. Skater Harding: TONYA.

74. Dumas' Count de la Fère: ATHOS.

78. Nocturnal hunters: HOOT OWLS.

79. Radius, for one: BONE.

80. Galápagos Islands' country: ECUADOR.

82. Time for action: D DAY.

83. Katey of "Sons of Anarchy": SAGAL.

86. Spruces (up): TIDIES.

87. Asked for a tuna treat, maybe: MEOWED. We just had MEWL yesterday.

88. Whole: ENTIRE.

89. Pickle flavoring: DILL.

92. High-end camera: LEICA.

93. Cavalry blade: SABER.

95. Like grim humor: DARK.

96. Sheltered, at sea: ALEE.

97. Chinese leader?: INDO. Indo-Chinese.

99. Chianti and Bordeaux: REDS.

100. Actress Suvari: MENA."American Beauty"/"American Pie"

103. Worked (up): HET.

104. Canal site: EAR.

105. Cozy cat seat: LAP.

106. Publish identifying material about on the Web: DOX. Read more here. Doxing can be toxic.